Seedance Prompt Writing Guide

Master the art of creating cinematic AI videos with perfectly structured prompts

1. Basic Prompt Structure

Every effective Seedance prompt follows this formula:

Subject + Action + Camera + Scene + Style

❌ Bad Prompt

A woman walking in the city

Too vague. No camera info, no style, no emotion.

✅ Good Prompt

A young woman in a red dress walks confidently down a rain-soaked Tokyo street at night. Neon signs reflect in puddles. Camera tracks alongside her with slight handheld movement. Cinematic color grading, moody atmosphere, 35mm film look.

Specific subject, clear action, camera movement, atmosphere, and style.

2. Camera Movements

Seedance excels at understanding camera language. Here are the movements you can use:

🎬

Push In / Dolly In

Camera moves toward subject. Creates intimacy.

"Camera slowly pushes in from medium shot to close-up"
🔄

Orbit / Arc

Camera circles around subject. Great for reveals.

"Camera orbits 180 degrees around the product"
📷

Pan

Camera rotates horizontally on axis.

"Slow pan from left to right across the landscape"
⬆️

Tilt

Camera rotates vertically. Good for scale.

"Camera tilts up from feet to face"
🚁

Aerial / Drone

High angle moving shot. Epic views.

"Aerial drone shot rises over mountain peaks"
🏃

Tracking / Follow

Camera follows subject movement.

"Camera tracks alongside running athlete"
🤳

Handheld

Slight shake for documentary feel.

"Handheld camera with subtle movement"
🎥

Lens Switch

Cut between different shots. Seedance specialty!

"Wide shot... lens switch to close-up of eyes"

3. Style & Lighting

Lighting Keywords

golden hour blue hour high-key low-key rim lighting backlit volumetric three-point lighting neon candlelight moonlight studio lighting

Style References

cinematic documentary commercial film noir anime style Studio Ghibli Blade Runner aesthetic Wes Anderson style 35mm film IMAX VHS aesthetic 4K HDR

4. Advanced Techniques

Multi-Shot Sequences

Use "lens switch" to create cuts within a single generation:

Wide establishing shot of a futuristic laboratory with scientists working. Lens switch to close-up of a holographic display showing DNA strands rotating. Lens switch to medium shot of lead scientist nodding with satisfaction.

Image-to-Video (I2V)

When using a reference image, focus on describing motion not static elements:

❌ Bad I2V Prompt

A beautiful woman with blue eyes and blonde hair wearing a white dress

Describes what's already in the image.

✅ Good I2V Prompt

She slowly turns her head toward the camera and smiles gently. A light breeze moves her hair. Camera pushes in slightly.

Focuses on motion and changes.

Degree Adverbs

Seedance responds to intensity modifiers:

slowly quickly dramatically gently vigorously frantically smoothly abruptly

5. Pro Tips

01

Be Specific with Physics

Don't say "car turns." Say "The tires smoke as the car drifts 90 degrees." Seedance calculates physics based on your description.

02

Use Fixed vs Unfixed Camera

Enable "Fixed Camera" in settings for static shots. Disable it when you want camera movement. This overrides prompt instructions.

03

Test at 5 Seconds First

Before generating a 15-second video, test your prompt at 5 seconds to save credits and iterate faster.

04

Avoid Contradictions

If your reference image shows a man, don't write "a woman dancing." Match your prompt to the input.

05

One Clear Action Per Shot

Complex prompts work better when each shot has one primary action. Use lens switches for variety.

06

Include Sound Cues (2.0)

Seedance 2.0 generates audio. Include sound descriptions: "metallic clink," "echoing footsteps," "crackling fire."

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